Honeydukes Dilemma
by mg8814
Summary: Draco is treated badly while shopping at Honeydukes because of his father. Ginny helps Blaise cheer him up. Lots of humor and some fluff. complete


This is just a little ficlet from a plot bunny to hold you over until I finish the next chapter of Drunken Stupor or Mother Matchmakers. (Though I'll most likely get more of Drunken Stupor out next since it's the one I'm in the process of working on at the moment, though it is possible to change with my mood.)  
  
Oh! I also realize that JKR has said Arthur will not be the next Minister of Magic; however I wanted him to be so in this fic. Read and you'll find out why!

* * *

It was a beautiful day for Hogwarts students and third years and up were enjoying it in Hogsmeade. It was the first trip of the year, and Ginny was very happy. She was currently standing in line in Honeydukes, waiting to pay for her chocolates.  
  
In front of her Draco Malfoy was conversing quietly with Blaise Zabini. Ginny had noticed that Malfoy had seemingly abandoned his two oversized goons for the company of Blaise. She suspected it had something to do with the fact that Draco's father; Lucius Malfoy had landed himself in Azkaban at the end of the last school year.  
  
Ginny couldn't help feel bad for Draco. It was obvious that his father's imprisonment had done a number on Draco. He had been very quiet so far this year. Many people, who he had made fun of and scared didn't seem to be intimidated by him anymore. Ginny guessed it was more of his father that scared the people he had terrorized, and Ginny didn't blame them. Lucius Malfoy was not a man one would want to meet in a dark alley.  
  
When Draco made it to the counter, Blaise paid first then stepped out of the line and went to wait for his friend. Trouble started when Draco tried to pay for his sweets. When he went to hand the galleon and some odd sickles to the cashier, the man took one look at Draco and his expression turned stony. "I'm afraid your money is no good here." The man said to Draco.  
  
"What?" Draco asked, confused.  
  
"You heard me. Kindly remove yourself from the line."  
  
"Not without an explanation I won't."  
  
"We don't do business with deatheaters."  
  
"Then there should be no problem, since I'm not a deatheater."  
  
"Your father is, and everyone knows the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Draco swallowed hard before glaring at the cashier.  
  
"Don't throw your clichés at me. I'm not a deatheater, and my money is just as good as everyone else's."  
  
"It's the money of a deatheater, probably also used to support he-who-must- not-be-named. I will not accept that money. You can get your sweets else where." The man said stonily. Ginny couldn't see Draco's expression, though see expected he did not look happy.  
  
"Fine then. But you just made a big mistake. No future Malfoys will ever shop here again." The man laughed at this.  
  
"What future Malfoys? After you make the same mistakes as your father, there will be no more Malfoys. Now get out of my shop before I call security." As Draco turned to leave the shop, Ginny caught hold of his expression. He looked very angry and ready to scream. She watched him practically push Blaise out of the store, forgetting she was next in line.  
  
"Miss?" The cashier said, breaking her out of her reverie.  
  
"I've changed my mind. I don't want these." Ginny said, putting the bag of sweets on the counter.  
  
"Why? Is something wrong?" The cashier asked, just as confused as Draco had been. Ginny almost laughed at the irony of it.  
  
"Yes, actually. I've decided that the way customers are treated here is horrid. You've just lost me as a customer forever. My name is Ginevra Weasley. Be sure to tell the owner. Make sure you mention it at the same time you mention loosing the Malfoy's as customers as well." The cashier gasped. "That's right. I'm the minister of Magic's daughter, his only daughter, who just happens to have a very large sweet tooth, and loves your chocolate. That's a lot of lost business in one day, doncha think?" Ginny smiled at him before exiting the line and walking out of the store.  
  
Once outside, she heard voices coming from the alley next to the shop. Peering down it, she saw that Blaise was talking to Draco, who was cradling his hand in pain. Sighing, Ginny walked towards them.  
  
"Come to rub it in my face Weasley?" Draco snarled when he saw her.  
  
"No. The guy was a prick. If it makes you feel any better, I just did the same...well, sort of the same thing to him that he did to you. Told him he lost my business, then proceeded to point out I'm the Minister of Magic's daughter. You should have seen his face. Wish I had had a camera. It was priceless." Blaise laughed heartily.  
  
"Are you sure you're a Gryffindor Weasley?" Blaise asked.  
  
"I'll let you boys in on a secret; I should have been in Slytherin. I was afraid of what my parents and brothers would think, so I convinced the hat I belonged in Gryffindor." Blaise shook his head.  
  
"You manipulative little Slytherin." Ginny just smirked at him.  
  
"Hey! That's my smirk Weasel." Draco said.  
  
"So sorry. Now tell me, what did you do to your hand?"  
  
"The idiot punched the wall. The brick wall."  
  
"Thanks Blaise." Draco said through clenched teeth.  
  
"No problem mate." He retorted, slapping Draco on the back. Ginny just shook her head.  
  
"Let me see it."  
  
"It's fine. I'll live."  
  
"If you don't let me see, you could end up in the infirmary for weeks, and that on top of your early embarrassment may just push you to suicide, and I really don't want that on my conscience. So let me see." Blaise laughed again. Ginny walked closer to Draco, who reluctantly let her see his hand. Reaching into her robes and pulling out her wand, Ginny mumbling something about teenage boys and their tempers under her breath. Waving her wand and muttering something, Draco felt the pain in his hand ease.  
  
"It isn't completely fixed, I'm no Madame Pomfrey. However, it will cut your healing time in half. No faking to be hurt for weeks this time, I know your secret and would have no problem telling everyone, you here?"  
  
"I can't believe this. First I can't buy my sweets, and then I break my hand, now a Weasley is blackmailing me. What's next, my father going to pop up and announce my engagement to a Muggle?" Draco said dramatically. Ginny giggled.  
  
"Don't be such a drama queen. I'm sure you'll be getting a written apology from the manager of Honeydukes, plus free sweets for the next year. Hopefully I will too...the free sweets, not the apology." Draco and Blaise shook their heads.  
  
"Such a shame." Draco said.  
  
"What's a shame?"  
  
"That you were wasted on Gryffindor." Blaise nodded his head in agreement. Ginny just laughed.  
  
"Ron would freak if he saw me standing here, in an alley, talking to Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini. Ii would be quite funny actually. I wonder how many shades of red and purple he'd turn..."  
  
"I could always go find him and bring him here so we can find out. You and Malfoy can snog for an extra effect." Blaise said.  
  
"I don't want to give him a heart attack. Mum would kill me, and I'm not quite ready to die." Draco and Blaise laughed again.  
  
"Come on let's get Draco here up to Madame P. so he can have his boo-boo made better." Ginny said in a teasing voice.  
  
"Go on laugh at the poor wounded boy." Draco said dramatically.  
  
"You Slyths really have a flair for drama, huh dragon?" Ginny said. Draco stopped short and looked at her.  
  
"What did you call me?"  
  
"Dragon." Ginny said slowly as though she was talking to a two-year-old.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because that's what your name means."  
  
"I know that, but how do you know that?"  
  
"Hermione mentioned it once. She reads Hogwarts a History like it gives her life, and on the school crest is a phrase written in Latin. Your name is part of it, and the phrase translates to "never tickle a sleeping Dragon." Hermione figured that Draco was the word that means dragon. Plus, I love dragons, and there is a constellation called Draco. It forms a sort of dragon. Charlie showed me it once. He works with Dragons in Romania." Draco just nodded.  
  
"So you love dragons, huh? All dragons?" Blaise asked smirking at her. She smacked him across his head.  
  
"That's not funny."  
  
"I though it was." He said rubbing his head, pretending that she had hurt him. Draco smiled, putting his arm around Ginny's shoulder.  
  
"Does that mean you don't love me?" Draco asked, putting on a fake hurt look.  
  
"I'm so sorry Draco, but it's the truth." By now they were walking on the streets of Hogsmeade, and getting some strange looks. Blaise was on Ginny's other side, and was thoroughly amused.  
  
"It's too bad. The two of you look awfully cute together. There goes my sinfully beautiful godchild." Both Ginny and Draco smacked him for that.  
  
"You know red; you're not as bad as I thought you were." Draco said, letting go of her shoulder opting to hold her hand instead. Ginny smiled at him.  
  
"You're not as bad as I thought you were either." They were smiling at each other, though they both looked away quickly when Blaise pretended to gag.  
  
"If you want to snog, then leave me to my own devices and go to Madame Puddifoot's." He said, leading them in that direction. He practically pushed them in the door before walking away, smiling to himself.  
  
"Maybe I'll get a sinfully beautiful godchild after all." He thought to himself, as he made his way to the three broomsticks for a butterbeer, and hopefully that Luna Lovegood would be there. She was always amusing to talk to. 


End file.
